Sermon, Sun 8 July: 'Unlikely prophets'

READINGS: Ezekiel 2:1-10; Mark 6:1-13

SERMON ‘Unlikely prophets’
Let’s pray: May the words of my mouth, and the thoughts of all our hearts, be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, our strength and our redeemer. Amen.

These days the job market can be a rather tricky thing both for prospective employees, and employers: those wanting to fill a position with just the right person.
Just as there’s an art to putting together a CV, so there’s also an art in putting together an ad:
both the CV and the ad are designed to not only give information, but to create some kind of impression.

Recently I came across some job adverts and ... well, yes, they did make quite an impression!
Have a listen and see what you think about these places of work:
‘Surgeon wanted: for a new health clinic opening in the area.
No experience needed.
Must have own tools.’

Just a quick check: who fancies registering with that particular health clinic?
I’m not sure which is more worrying:
the ‘no experience needed,’
or the ‘must have own tools.’
On the other hand, if you’ve always fancied having a go at being a surgeon
but never really had the time to train – well, there’s a golden opportunity going!

How about this one – would you work here?
‘Precision Tune Auto Care: 
‘We stand in front of our brakes:
help wanted.’
...No?

What about this one – it’s a little longer, but, it doesn’t skimp on detail:
‘Sales advisor:
my clients are a massive bunch of indecisive idiots 
who like to think of themselves as being better than they actually are.
They are now looking for like-minded idiots to join them.
You will be arrogant and have a high level of self-importance,
along with a real desire to rip customers off to make lots of money.
You will be responsible for selling to customers things they don’t need at grossly inflated prices.
Salary on offer is £18-22 000, although at interview, my client will tell you 
that you can achieve manager status in 2-3 years with a salary of £35 000 plus.
However, this is rubbish.
They will interview you and make it sound that they’re keen on you,
then arrange a second interview at which you’ll think you’ve done really well,
however, your feedback will be: ‘not for us’,
which will be really helpful to you in understanding why you didn’t get the job.
If the above sounds like it could be for you, apply today.’
Sound appealing?
A real ad, and the shocking thing is that 8 people actually applied!

These job ads came to mind as I read our passage from Ezekiel, which we heard earlier.
God is calling Ezekiel to be his man –
to apply for the vacant job of prophet.
And here’s the sales pitch:
‘I’m sending you to a rebellious nation;
right from the get-go, they’ve always rebelled,
never listened;
they are obstinate and stubborn;
they may fail to listen;
They’re probably going to get angry
and not only say horrible things,
they might actually physically hurt you;
it’ll be like being surrounded 
by briars and thorns,
like living among scorpions;
oh, did I say they’d be mean to you
and that they’re rebellious...?
Oh yes, yes I did.
Anyway, don’t be afraid.
Go speak my words;
don’t rebel like them,
oh, and while you’re at it, here: 
eat this scroll filled with words of woe and lament – it’ll taste like honey, I promise.’

Now, there’s a tantalising job offer:
go and speak to a bunch of folk who truly are revolting – in more ways than one.
It’s a seemingly thankless, difficult task, destined for failure.
And yet, regardless of success or failure,
the job is to go and speak God’s kingdom words – and trust God to know what he’s doing.
A few weeks back we heard Jesus talking about seeds being scattered by a gardener:
the job was to go scatter the seeds –
and then trust God to be about the business of dealing with the actual growth of the seeds.
Crack on, do God’s will.
And, despite the very challenging job conditions, that’s exactly what Ezekiel does:
he accepts the job offer, and speaks God’s word in soil that appears to be less than fertile:
and yet, it should be fertile ground,
after all, these are God’s own people.

Like a mirror, our gospel passage this morning reflects, in part, a similar story.
We have Jesus returning home for a visit among his own people.
Up to this point in the gospel of Mark, it’s been all go.
We start with Jesus being baptised,
and move quickly into the beginning of his ministry.
He gathers around him disciples – wanting to learn from him.
He rapidly gains quite the reputation:
crowds flock to him – wherever he is, so too, are they.
He drives out evil spirits,
heals the sick,
can command the elements themselves – calming a storm at sea.
Very soon into his ministry he has alienated the religious establishment
who look for ways of killing him.
He is dynamic:
a force to be reckoned with;
a power for good –
a power for God.
‘Messiah’ is being mentioned in some quarters,
as people hear his words and see his deeds:
as they watch love in action,
and the seeds of the kingdom of heaven grow and flourish.
Jesus is on the crest of a great wave as he turns home.

When he gets there, he does what he usually does when he arrives at a place:
on the Sabbath, he goes to the synagogue and begins to teach.
The home-town crowd go wild:
how awesome and amazing is this local boy done good?
They’re filled with admiration and clamour for more, so receptive are they...
A great party happens and they carry him on their shoulders through the streets
cheering and celebrating his success:
a success which puts all of them in a good light –
after all, the success of one is the success of all.

Except...
we know that this is not what happens.
Quite the opposite:
he teaches, yes.
They are amazed, yes.
But the amazement is more from disbelief –
‘Hang on, they’re fine words, but, who do you think you are, sonny Jim, 
to take a place of honour?’
‘He’s just the carpenter – he’s nothing special.’
And then the sly comments about the circumstances of his birth:
less a case of ‘we kent yer faither’
and more a case of maybe they don’t.
So rather than say ‘isn’t he Joseph’s son?’
they say ‘isn’t he...Mary’s?’
In a culture based on shame and honour, there’s a particular pecking order:
to give honour to this humble carpenter would displace someone else.
They’re not prepared to upset the apple-cart:
they’re not prepared to entertain the idea
that someone as seemingly ordinary as Jesus –
or even, that someone with a slight taint, like Jesus –
could possibly make good.*
In their minds, someone like him making good somehow shows the rest of them up.
So, instead of honouring him, they attempt to put him back in his box –
he’s become too big for his britches:
he’s the most unlikely of prophets.
He speaks God’s word,
scatters the seeds of the kingdom,
and appears to have the most meagre response
on this seemingly unfertile soil.
Everywhere else, the ever-present crowd
is desperate for Jesus to help, or heal, or restore them, 
but not here, not the home-crowd,*
not...Jesus’ own people.

After tremendous success, here, in this story, the writer records what looks like a failure.
It’s an interesting turning point, and his own followers, the disciples, are watching.
Which is why it’s interesting that, immediately after this difficult homecoming,
we see Jesus calling the twelve disciples closest to him to go out, two by two,
and to scatter the seeds of the kingdom.
They’ve seen his great successes,
his miracles,
experienced for themselves his rescue from the storm.
It’s almost as if they also needed to see that, at times,
the work of the kingdom can be plain hard slog, without much sign of outward success:
the hard homecoming has been just as instructive as all of the miracles.
Go out, do it: share God’s word –
scatter the seed,
be God’s love in the world, in action.
But they don’t go alone:
they have a companion on the journey –
to share the burden and to share the joys.

They are ordinary people –
fishermen and tax collectors –
and these ordinary people go off on this journey with little provision,
and yet, with everything they need.
They come back, amazed at God,
amazed at what has occurred as they’ve stepped out in faith,
and possibly, even, a little amazed at themselves:
God can use ordinary folk like...them.

I’ve occasionally mentioned church signs – often in relation to sermon titles.
Often they can also have some very cheesy slogans or posters with dire puns.
At one point, it was quite the thing to post on church sign boards a mock up
of an advert for a job:
‘Wanted:
Carpenter seeks joiners.’
That carpenter, Jesus, a seemingly ordinary man, yet, extraordinary too,
calls us to be about the kingdom’s business.
Calls us, ordinary, yet extraordinary folk:
to say ‘yes’ to the job of being God’s people.
To say ‘yes’ to the job of being God’s love in action in the world.
To say ‘yes’ to the job of being unlikely prophets.
To say ‘yes’ to the job even though, at times, it won’t necessarily be all smooth sailing...

We, like Ezekiel, like Abraham, like Sarah, like Mary,
like so many down the ages, are called to faithful obedience:
we might not see ‘success’ in the way the world would have us try to define it;
we might not see ‘success’ in our lifetime;
Nevertheless, wherever we are, we crack on with the business of embodying God’s love.
Actions matter:
‘God has chosen us in baptism, not only for salvation, 
but also for purposeful, consequential lives here and now...
Each day, we have a choice between resisting God’s activity
or partnering with God’s intent and action – to bless and care for God’s world.
...Our acts of kindness are holy,
and our moments of unkindness or indifference are tragic.
What we do matters and...God equips us to be his agents of grace,’ *
ordinary people, yet, made extraordinary –
for we are his,
and together, as his people, and with him,
miracles can happen,
seeds can grow,
hard ground can be revitalised.
God puts out the job advert and calls each one of us to apply:
with our different gifts, and personalities, and skills.
‘A timid believer pauses to listen to the Voice;
A struggling church hears the Voice and turns;
and still the Voice beckons today. . .
can you hear?
As we seek to listen to God’s voice, ever calling,
so may our prayer be:
Here I am. Send me.’**

Let’s pray:
Loving God, our creator, our sustainer,
the one who is the ground of our being
and at the same time is the one who holds
the universe in your hand:
Give us hearts that will sing your praise
in the highs and the lows.
Give us minds that will put some effort
into thinking about how to follow you with honesty.
Give us hands that will work to succeed
and move on from failure.
As your people,
as Christ’s body:
help us to worship you,
help us to live the Christian life,
help us to be followers of Christ...
with every fibre of our being –
heart, mind, body and soul –
In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.

*David Lose, 'Working Preacher'
**Roots